System for the storing and handling of volatile or vaporizable liquids



SYSTEM FOR THE STORING AND HANDLING OF VOLATILE OR VAPORIZABLE LIQUIDS C. SPA ETH April 28, 1936.

1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 19 C. SPAETH April 28, 1936.

SYSTEM FOR I'HE STORING AND HANDLING OF VOLATILE OR VAPORIZABLE LIQUIDS Filed May 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet -2 WHM W Patented Apr. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SYSTEM FOR THE STORING AND HANDLING OF VOLATILE B- VAPORIZABLE LIQUIDS (Hiarles Spaeth, Cleveland, Ohio Application May 19, 1934, Serial No. 726,479

8 Claims. I (Cl. 220-85) e This invention relates to a system for the storing and handling of volatile or vaporizable liquids, such as gasoline or the like.

It has been the custom at refineries and other places where these liquids are stored and handled in large quantities to employ a plurality of tanks. These tanks generally communicate with each other and with the atmosphere so that the pressure may be equalized throughout the system.

When a quantity of gasoline or similar volatile liquid is placed in a container, it is well known that owing to changes in temperature and other conditions such as exist during the filling and refilling of the tanks, the vapor pressure continually varies and undergoes a so called breathing action, during which the vapor from the liquid escapes to the atmosphere and air is drawn into the container. As previously stated herein, it has been the practice to connect up a series of such containers or tanks together, so that the vapor from one tank may pass to another, thus distributing and equalizing the pressure throughout the system. This has resulted in considerable saving of vapor which would otherwise have been passed to the atmosphere, however, when the several tanks of the system are filled with different kinds or grades of gasoline, considerable loss has resulted due to the fact that during filling operations the liquid from one tank would frequently overflow into other tanks of the system.

The general object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the vapor is permitted to pass from one tank to another tank of the system, while liquid overflowing from. any tank 0 or tanks of the system cannot find its way into another tank of the system. This is of particular importance where one or more of the diiferent grades of the gasoline in the series of tanks 40 contains lead. I

In the accompanying drawings wherein one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated:

Figure 1 is a plan elevation'of a series of stor- Y 45 age tanks illustrating a vapor control system embodying overflow check valves which permit free circulation of vapor between the individual tanks, but prohibit circulation of liquid between the tanks;

50 Figure 2 is a sectional view partly in elevation on line 2--2 of Figure 1; Y

Figure 3 is a sectional view partly in elevation on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view 55 through one of the equalizer valves;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the overflow check valve; and

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view through the overflow check valve, the section being taken on line 66 of Figure 5. I 5

Referring more particularly to the drawings I denotes a series of metal tanks of any desired capacity and preferably of the vertical type. While any suitable number of tanks may be employed, but three tanks designated A, B and C 10 respectively, are shown. Each tank is provided with an opening 2 adjacent its lower end,- through which liquid may be drawn from or'pumped into the tank. Other'openings 3 in the top or vapor end of. the several tanks respectively receive pipes 4 depending from one side of vapor control valve housings 5, one of which is mounted above each tank.

The several vapor openings 3 of the respective tanks A, B and C communicate with each other through a horizontally disposed connecting pipe or manifold 6. Another pipe or manifold I parallel with and adjacent to the pipe or manifold 6, connects the pressure side of the vapor control valve with each of the other vapor con- 2 trol valves. Each end of the pressure manifold l is open to provide air intake ports 8, which are preferably screened against the ingress of dirt and other foreign matter.

The vapor control valves comprise the main casing or housing 5, to the top of which a yoke 9 is hinged at one end as at ill, the otherend of the yoke being detachably locked in closed position by any suitable means, such as a cotter pin H. 'A valve housing cover I3 is held in closed position by means of a bolt or the like it. A relatively heavy spherical ball i6 is seated within a valve opening or seat I! formed in a removable gasket 58 which is in turn held in position by suitable fastening screws IS. A passage 20 places the opening ll in communication with the pipe 4 and manifold 6. A second valve 2| is seated within a valve opening or passage 22 which communicates with the manifold I through the medium of a passage 23. The valve 2| is preferably constructed of a light metal in order that it will respond to relatively low pressures. As the construction so far described is not new per se further detailed description thereof seems unnecessary.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the initial vapor pressure generated by each of the tanks A, B and C is conducted through the individual pipe connections I, to the interior of the valvehousings 5, and from there distributed throughout all the tanks through the manifold 6. This action will; continue until the pressure'is sufllcient to open the ball valves l6, whereupon the excess presure will be permitted to flow'into the I from whence it may escape thr ugh the air-intake ports 8, and/or pass back through e 23 and valve 2| into manifold 6 for distribution to the various tanks.

With the construction just described, it will be noted that when either of the tanks A, B and C is filled to overflowing, the liquid from that tank will follow the course taken by the excess vapor.

I Consequently the liquid can and will under such circumstances flow from one tank into the other,

and as a result different types, grades and colors of become mixed and unfit for ready pressure throughout the system, effectually prevent-the. e of the gasoline from one tank to another. The number of valves employed dependsuponthenumber oftanksinthesystem, one valve being between adjacent tanks. In the present system'wherein but three tanks,

A, B and C are used,'t wo' overflow valves 24 will sufllce,onebetweentanksA andB-andthe other between tanks Band C. These valves 24 consist of a housing or casing 25 provided at its opposite ends with threaded openings 26 .for convenient mounting in the conduit or. manifold i. The only change" n 'is to-break away a suflicient portion of manifold 6, to accommodate the valve 24,'and to thread theopposing ends of the broken away portion of the pipe or manifold 3 for connection with-the threaded openings 23.

The casing or housing 25 of each overflow check "valve; 24' consistsof a 'curved bottom wall 21, Vertical side walls 2', end walls I! and a top 30,

the latter being-provided with removable covers vor plugs 3| at each end thereof. A centrally dis-4 posed transverse vertical division wall 32 divides the valve into two compartments 33, 33'-' and a horizontal partition or wall 34, arranged below and parallel to the top, constitutes .the

'top of the chambers 33. Projecting inwardly from each end wall, into the respective cham bers33, intermediate the top and bottomtthereof is a trough shaped member 35. A ball floatvalve 33 seated within,each 33 is conflned thereinfor limited-vertical movement bye.

1 removable games a, in turn suitably secured in place within an opening 31, formed in the wall u. quasi-inns guide the valve 3am its move"- ments to and Iran its. seats. The mode of operation of the overflow check valves is as follows: Assuming for illustrativepurposes that fllling operations an over supply or quantity of gasoline or other fluid is pumped into the tank A, the excess fluid will enter the vapor control valve of tank A through pipe,4, andwillthenpasson throughmanifold or conduit 3 and into chamber 33 of overflow check 24 for tanksA and B. The vapor is free to flow through e 43, around and over ball float valve and thence out through open .31 and 4| into and through chamber 33' andthence on through manifold 3 to the vapor control valve for B, in the manner previously described. However, the cannot pass from one side of overflow check valve 24 to the other, that-isfrom chamber 33 to chamber 33' and-vice versa. when the gasoline rises sufllciently high in chamber 33, the valve 38 will be elevated,juntil the-latter closes the' opening able, containers, not shown, may be placed beneath the end of manifold] to catch the overflow. when the tank A is drawn upon, the gasoline in chamber 33 will drain back into the tank, the trough shaped member 35 being providedwith a drain opening 43 for this purpose. 7,

7 It will be obvious from the foregoing that any overflow from tank B will be taken care of by bothoverflow check valves 23, 24'- but that the overflow gasoline will be forced into the chamber 33' of valve 24, instead of the chamber 33 thereof. Both ends of these valves function in precisely the same manner. L Y 2 Having thus described my invention, what I claimisz' I 1. In a volatile liquid storage system, the combination of a series of atmospherically sealed chambers, a primary manifold connecting .the vapor side of each of said chambers, a secondary manifold open to the atmosphere and connected in parallel with said primary manifold, double check valves in=said primary manifold adapted to permit free flow of vapor through said primary manifold.

- 2.- In a volatile liquid storage system, the combination of a series of atmospherically sealed chambers, a primary manifold connecting the vapor side of eachof saidohambers, a secondary 'manifold connected in parallel with said primary manifolds, double acting valve means positioned between said secondary and said primary manifolds, and means in said primary manifold for checking the flow of liquid through said primary manifold, said latter means permltting'free flow of vapor therethrough.

bination of a series of'atmospherically' sealed 3. In a volatileliquid storage system the comchambers, a primary manifold connecting the .vapor side of each of said chambers, a secondary manifold connected in parallel with said primary manifold,double acting valve means positioned between said secondarysnd said primary manifolds, at'mospheric intake ports connected to said secondary manifold, and means in said primary.

manifold for checking the flow of liquid through said primary manifold, said latter means permitting free flow of vapor therethrough.

4. In a volatile liquid storage system, the com-' bination of a series of atmospherically sealed chambers, a primary manifold connecting the vapor side of each of saidchambers, a secondary manifold connected'in parallelswith said primary manifold, double actingvalve means positioned between said secondary and said primary manifolds, atmospheric ports connected to said secondary manifolds, and means in said primary manifold for checking the flow of liquid through said primary manifold in opposite directions, said latter means permitting free flow of vapor therethrough.

5. In a volatile liquid storage system, the combination of a series of atmospherlcally sealed chambers, a primary manifold connecting the vapor side of each of said chambers, a secondary manifold open to the atmosphere arranged parallel to said primary manifold, means connecting said primary and secondary manifolds in parallel, double acting valve means in said connecting means, and overflow check means in said primary manifold for checking the flow of liquid therethrough, said latter means permitting free flow of vapor therethrough.

6. In a volatile liquid storage system, the combination of a series of atmospherically sealed chambers, a primary manifold connecting the vapor side of each of said chambers, a series of overflow check means in said primary manifold arranged so that each overflow check means is located between the connection of two adjoining sealed chambers, a secondary manifold open to the atmosphere arranged parallel to said pri-' mary manifold, means connecting said primary and secondary manifolds inv parallel and double acting valve means in said connecting means. said overflow check means checking the flow of liquid through said primary manifold and permitting free flow of vapor therethrough.

'7. In a volatile liquid storage system according to claim 6 overflow check means in said primary manifold provided with two check valves for checking the flow of liquid in opposite directions.

8. In a volatile liquid storage system having atmospherically sealed chambers connected by primary and secondary manifolds with each other and the open atmosphere, double acting valve means positioned between said primary and secondary manifolds andoverflow check means in said primary manifold, said overflow check means checking the flow of liquid through said primary manifold and permitting free flow of vapor therethrough.

CHARLES SPAETH. 

